Hogwarts Legacy Propels to No. 1 on UK Sales Chart Despite Switch Gameplay Caveat
Nov. 21, 2023Hogwarts Legacy Propels to No. 1 on UK Sales Chart Despite Switch Gameplay Caveat
Hogwarts Legacy looks to be back on top at least for the UK sales chart with its Switch release, despite scaling back on a main feature.
The spellbinding Action-RPG Hogwarts Legacy has shot to number one in the UK physical sales chart with the release of the Nintendo Switch version finally launching. The platform which received a few delays, has now launched on the handheld now climbing to number one ahead of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and EA Sports FC 24. This has also outdone the recent Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PS5 exclusive and Nintendo Switch exclusive Super Mario RPG. The top ten which was reported by Gfk via gamesindustry shows the new number one as of November 18th.
This also joins the number of Black Friday sales which has now boosted games such as Call of Duty and EA Sports FC 24.
The Switch version has received a few changes for the release in order to adapt to the now 6-year-old hardware. Most noticeably the open world experience isn’t quite as open world as the other platforms it’s released on. In order to counter the dated hardware, when players try to enter places such asHogsmeadeorshopsin the village, they will be presented with an action button and then a loading screen. This divides up the major open-world areas with large interconnected areas, instead of letting you seamlessly walk orflythrough them.
Other changes include the downgraded graphics, which if you’ve seen theWitcher 3 port of the game, has gone through a similar experience in order to cope with the wide world. It also lacks motion controls which would have been great for spellcasting. Understandably longer loading times are also present in the Switch version which is true for a number of ports.
Despite these differences, it seems the title is still selling well at least in the physical chart for the Switch platform. In case you missed it, Hogwarts Legacy was released earlier this year in February for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. It was delayed for the Switch version to November 14th. The game has now sold over 15 million units across platforms which wasreported back in May. The launch was a massive one havingtopped single-player viewership on Twitchand also stormingPlaystation downloads in its first week.
In case you missed it, the game follows the experience of a 5th-year student just transferring for Hogwarts. While set in the same universe as Harry Potter, the title takes place in the 1800s. It gave a look at the school at a completely different time but was still memorable for those who have read the books.
But rumours of a goblin rebellion being led by Ranrok have arisen. Together with trusted companions, other students from the school and your professors, it’s up to you to find out why corrupted magic is threatening the wizarding world.
TheAction-RPGdid well to whisk you away into the fantasy world, transforming iconic places from the books such as the Great Hall and the common rooms for each of the houses. Even expanding into areas around the grounds such as the Forbidden Forest. Players get to experience capturing magical creatures, attending classes, flying by broomstick and even learning (if they dare to) someUnforgivable Curses.
As the game is a fresh story, anyone can play the game without having read the books or watched any of the films. If you’re undecided on whether to pick up the game check out our review below of the game:
Even though the game has done quite the numbers this year, it has forgone any nominations for this year’sThe Game Awardswhich is probably due to the controversy surrounding it. It has been quite the year for RPGs, so making that category has some stiff competition betweenBaldur’s Gate 3, Final Fantasy XVI,Lies of P,Starfieldand Sea of Stars.
As for what’s next for the fantasy franchise, there were rumbles earlier this year that Avalanche Software could be moving onto their next project as job positions opened for an “announced AAA console title”. Whether this means we’ll be seeing Hogwarts Legacy 2 or another aspect of the magical universe is unknown. AQuidditchDLC would be a great addition to the game, so if we don’t see that coming to the first title, it should be in the next.
If you are yet to check out the spellcasting game be sure to drop by ourHogwarts Legacy wikifor all yourPotions,Spells,Craftingand magical needs. You can also check out our guide covering usefulTips & Tricks for Combatas well as getting started.
Yuria
News Editor at Fextralife. Yuria is an avid PC gamer and Twitch streamer who enjoys online multi-player games and believes games should have amazing storylines not just great graphics.
